DGCA Rules: Denied boarding compensation Akasa Air had refused to give boarding to 7 passengers on the flight. It did not even give any compensation to the passengers. Because of this, DGCA has imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Akasa Air. Let us know why Akasa Air refused to give boarding to the passengers and what are the rights of the passengers if the airlines do so.
DGCA Rules: Aviation Regulator- Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) recently imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Akasa Air. The reason for this was that Akasa Air refused to give boarding to 7 passengers in the flight in September 2024. Let us know why Akasa Air refused to give boarding to the passengers? Do airlines have the right to do so? And if airlines do so, do the passengers have the right to get compensation.
Why was Akasa Air fined?
Akasa Air refused to board 6 passengers on Bengaluru-Pune on 6 September. Those passengers had flight tickets and had also followed all the other necessary rules. But, there were no seats left in that flight of Akasa Air. It shifted the passengers to Indigo’s flight, which had 9 seats left. Indigo’s flight took off 2 hours after Akasa Air. Akasa did not give any compensation to the passengers for this delay, due to which it has been fined.
Can airlines do overbooking?
Aviation companies are legally allowed to overbook. Since a lot of money is spent in operating the flight. In such a situation, even a single seat remaining vacant causes loss to the airlines and also wastes resources. This is the reason why airlines are allowed to overbook, but during this time certain rules have to be followed.
What does the rule say about overbooking?
Aviation companies have done overbooking to limit the possibility of flying with empty seats. If a passenger does not come, then his seat is given to the passengers who have overbooked. But, if all the passengers arrive, then obviously the airline will have to deny boarding to the overbooked passengers. This is what happened in the case of Akasa Air.
What are the rights of passengers if they do not get boarding?
It is the responsibility of the airline to arrange flights for all the passengers who have overbooked and did not get boarding. If the airline arranges such a flight for them, which takes off within an hour, then it does not need to compensate the passengers. But, in the case of Akasa Air, IndiGo’s flight took off 2 hours later. Therefore, it should have compensated the overbooked passengers.
How much compensation will overbooked passengers get?
If we talk about compensation, then it should be equal to 200 percent of the basic one-way fare plus the airline fuel charge or Rs 10,000. Whichever is less, the passenger will get it as compensation. If the alternate flight is delayed and takes off 24 hours after the original flight, the compensation also increases. In this case, the passenger gets 400 percent of the original one-way fare plus the airline fuel charge or Rs 20,000, whichever is less.
What if the passenger does not opt for the alternate flight?
If an overbooked passenger refuses to travel on the alternate flight, he gets a full refund of the ticket. Also, as compensation, he gets 400 percent of the original one-way fare plus the airline fuel charge or Rs 20,000. If we talk about the case of Akasa Air, the airline should have given Rs 10,000 as compensation to each passenger.
